On October 8, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov chaired an enlarged sitting with the high-ranking law enforcement officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Turkmen leader focused on the issues related to enhancement of law and order in the ranks of the Ministry of Home Affairs and opened to the public the flagrant violations committed through the fault and with the connivance of Minister of Home Affairs H. Annakurbanov.

Addressing the high-ranking officials, the law enforcement officers first of all the Turkmen leader reminded about the strategic goals of the national political, social and economic, spiritual development set to the law enforcement agencies. Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov specified the key directions of the activities of the security, defence and law enforcement agencies in compliance with the priorities of the national development, and first of all, in the context of rigorous observance of the constitutional provisions to protect human rights and freedoms

Putting emphasis on the important role the law enforcement agencies were to play in this regard Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov noted that the government applied great efforts to strengthen the resource-and-technical base, to increase the professional skills of law enforcement officers.

The President stated that unfortunately, the expectations for fundamental improvement of the work of the interior affairs departments called upon to guarantee the unity and concord in the society, to defend the law and order had not been met. The most aggravated situation had formed in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Prosecutor General of Turkmenistan M. Ogshukov reported on the results of the inspection conducted at the Ministry of Home Affairs and its departments that had revealed numerous facts of official malfeasance by the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and its departments. Thus, the investigative data and evidence and reports had been fabricated with the knowledge of and by the direct instructions of the Minister of Home Affairs.

Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said that to obey the law was a sacred duty of the state and each citizen and emphasized that it was a professional obligation of the law enforcement officers especially as high-ranking officials that had been cynically violated at the Ministry of Home Affairs and its departments as the facts testified.

The President said that it was high time to take a serious view and to make an objective appraisal of the current situation, to frankly answer the question how and why the rights and obligations vested by the state to the interior affairs departments had been substituted for the right to permissiveness. The corrupt practice of bribing had been applied and the principles of justice and humanism underlying the work of the law enforcement agencies had been defied.

The Turkmen leader noted that after H. Annakurbanov had been appointed to the position he had been notified of the inadmissibility of favouritism and nepotism. Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov emphasized that no one especially as high-ranking officials had the right to sacrifice the interests of the country and people to please their cupidity. The Turkmen leader said that everyone would work to make that rule observed rigorously. The sitting purposed that aim.

Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov emphasized that the letters and petitions submitted to the State Commission for citizens’ petitions on the actions of the law enforcement agencies under President of Turkmenistan served as some kind of the barometer of public opinion that was not in favour of the national law enforcement agencies. In recent months the number of citizens’ complaints about the unlawful actions of the relevant officials had increased. It was a direct result of the infringement, unprofessional approach to the principles of the work of the Ministry of Home Affairs that its current leadership applied. The style and methods of the work neither responded to the realities nor conformed to the reforms implemented in all spheres of national development. The standards of responsibility, competence, scrupulousness at the Ministry of Home Affairs had been dropped down. In this context Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov focused on the work of the fire safety departments that had not conducted the inventory in terms of compliance with the preventive fire-fighting regulations. The neglect had resulted in a conflagration at the central market in the capital city.

The Turkmen leader said that the guardians of law had seriously undermined their authority and they would have to take great efforts to restore their reputation. Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said that the more important was to establish the supremacy of law in the society. The law enforcement agencies had to dedicate their activities to that goal. Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov emphasized that the precedence of law was a key vector of implementing the national policy aimed at guaranteeing the worthy life to the Turkmen people, wellbeing and prosperity to the country.

Emphasizing that the person who had failed to manage the work properly and committed numerous violations of the laws discredited the post entrusted to him the Turkmen leader said that he would submit the proposal to relieve H. Annakurbanov from the post of the Minister of Home Affairs to the Mejlis. The President suggested appointing Vice Chancellor of the Military Academy O. Amanmyradov Minister of Home Affairs.

First Deputy Minister of Home Affairs N. Yagmyrov was dismissed for the grave shortcomings in the work. M. Orazov was appointed First Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.

Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov appointed Ch. Amanov Minister of National Security of Turkmenistan. Minister of National Security G. Ashirmuhammedov of Turkmenistan was relieved from his post for health reasons.

Emphasizing that the national security departments were to strengthen the foundation of the Turkmen people’s peaceful life and constructive labour – a crucial condition for successful implementation of the reforms and undertakings aimed at improving the standards of living Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov put forward the tasks to improve the work of the national security departments. The President emphasized that the main requirements included strict observance of the laws, in particular those protecting human rights and freedoms.

Upon concluding the sitting the Turkmen leader called upon the law enforcement officers to work honestly sparing no efforts and expressed belief that they would learn the lesson from the conversation and justify the high rank of guardians of law.